School District of Philadelphia PreK and Kindergarten Registration Open!

The first day of school for Pre-K, Kindergarten, Head Start, and Bright Futures may not be until September 16, but registration for the 2011-2012 school year is open NOW!

To register for kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2011. The School District does not test for early admission to kindergarten. Visit your neighborhood school and be sure to bring your child’s birth certificate and up to date immunization records. Also, bring:

Identification (one of the following is required)
Current Drivers License/Non-Drivers License
Valid Federal, State or Municipal employment photo id
Passport

Proof of Residency (one of the following is required)
Current Utility Bill (PECO, PGW, Water)
Current Voter’s Registration
Original Rental Agreement/Leases (Must be typed, signed by all parties and notarized)
Deed
Residency Affidavit signed by homeowner/tenant or landlord and notarized.

Foster care/childcare and DHS letters are also acceptable for registration when student is in the care of a foster/child care agency.
Shelter placement or residency letters are also acceptable for homeless students.

In addition to kindergarten, there are also several free and low-cost prekindergarten programs in the district. Sifting through eligibility is quite a challenge, but here’s the run-down as we understand it. The SDP provides direct services to preschool age children through Bright Futures, Comprehensive Early Learning Centers, and Prekindergarten Head Start Programs. The district also helps private preschool providers establish and maintain quality in the Prek counts and Head Start Partnerships.

The program your child might qualify for depends largely on family size and income:

Income Eligibility:

Eligibility for all programs is based upon the family’s income as related to Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG). For Head Start programs, the family needs to be either at or below the FPIG or within 130% of the FPIG (depending on enrollment- up to 35% of the families can have higher income levels if the program is under-enrolled at the lower income level).

Family Size To Qualify for Head Start, the family Income Level must be Below:

1 $10,830 OR $14,079

2 $14,570 OR $18,941

3 $18,310 OR $23,803

4 $22,050 OR $28,665

5 $25,790 OR $33,527

Family Size To Qualify for Prek Counts or Bright Futures, the family Income Level must be Below:

1 $32,490

2 $43,710

3 $54,930

4 $66,150

5 $77,370

Bright Futures Prekindergarten is available to families with three and four year olds (children must be at least 3 years old by Sept. 1 2011 and not old enough for kindergarten) who meet the Income Eligibility Requirements set by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Free with Income Eligibility
Operates during the school year
Operates during school hours
Provides breakfast, lunch, and pm snack

To register for Bright Futures, telephone the Office of Early Childhood Education, PreK-3, at 215-400-4270, or attend advertised, scheduled city-wide Registration Days.

The Comprehensive Early Learning Centers (CELC) program serves parents who are working, receiving training or who are in school at least 20 hours per week and who need year round, extended day preschool services. To register, telephone the Office of Early Childhood Education, PreK-3, at 215-400-4270 and ask for a CELC Application packet or
telephone your local center and ask to speak with the Center Leader.Link for list of Local CELCs

The fee is based on income and family sizeChildcare subsidy is available
Enrolls three and four year olds and five year olds who are not age-eligible for kindergarten
Operates 52 weeks a year, 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
Provides breakfast, lunch, pm snack

Head Start Partnerships: The School District partners with 25 community child care organizations to provide educational, health, and nutritional Head Start services to three and four year olds in 39 centers. The District and the partners work together to ensure that all children receive high quality programs so that they arrive at school ready to learn. The program is state funded and free to eligible families:List of Head Start Partnership Centers

Prekindergarten Head Startprovides early childhood services to three and four year old children whose families meet the low income requirements of the federal Head Start program. To register, telephone your local center and ask to speak to the Family Services Representative:

Free with income eligibility requirements set by the federal Head Start program

Enrolls three and four year olds (Entering children must be three years old by September 1)

Operates during the school year

Operates during school hours

Provides breakfast, lunch, and pm snack

School District of Philadelphia is also partners with 50 community agencies at 64 center locations through Pennsylvania’s new Pre-K Counts program. Children in the program receive high quality early childhood services aligned with Pennsylvania’s state standards.